Colour me surprised

[Gob]

A US National Football League (NFL) quarterback has refused to stand for the national anthem in protest at what he sees as racial injustice.

Colin Kaepernick, who plays with the San Francisco 49ers, remained seated as the anthem was played.

"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour," he explained.

Some fans booed the player when he took to the pitch.

But his team said they supported his right to protest, which took place as the 49ers hosted the Green Bay Packers in a pre-season game on Friday.

"We recognise the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem," the team said.

The governor of Maine has said that people of colour were enemies of his state, and appeared to suggest they should be shot.

Speaking about Maine's effort to combat drug crime, Paul LePage said that "the enemy right now... are people of colour or people of Hispanic origin".

"When you go to war... and the enemy dresses in red and you dress in blue, then you shoot at red," he said.

Leading Democrats have urged him to resign.

Mr LePage made the comments while seeking to clarify remarks he made earlier in the week which were criticised as racist.

The press conference capped a controversial 72 hours for the Republican governor.

[Lord Jim]

Disgraceful.

Both stories...

[Guinevere]

Comparing Kaepernick to LePage is insulting and disgraceful to Kaepernick. Not even close to the same.

[rubato]

Comparing Kaepernick to LePage is insulting and disgraceful to Kaepernick. Not even close to the same.

Kaepernick was communicating his beliefs in a dignified and respectful manner.

Muhammad Ali was reviled for the same type of thing but has now been universally proven to have been right.


Kaepernick will pay a high price for his honesty because patriotism is not a value but a religion for many people and they are driven into irrational rage when you question that dogma.


LePage did far worse and will probably suffer nothing for it. The GOP likes that kind of thing, now.


yrs,
rubato

[Scooter]

The press conference capped a controversial 72 hours for the Republican governor.

Leaving a voicemail in which he repeatedly calls a state representative a "son of a bitch soclalist cocksucker", and goading him to make it public, was probably not the pinnacle of good judgment.

[Lord Jim]

Kaepernick was communicating his beliefs in a dignified an ignorant and disrespectful manner.

Fixed.

[RayThom]

He was exercising one of his many options afforded him under our Constitution. I am not surprised.
http://www.wthr.com/article/kravitz-if- ... -his-right

[Guinevere]

Kaepernick was communicating his beliefs in a dignified an ignorant and disrespectful manner.

Fixed.

You could not be more wrong about this one LJ. That flag allows Kaepernick to do exactly what he did. Disagree, fine. But it was not ignorant or disrespectful.

As for LePage, didn't we have a separate thread here about his current ridiculous insanity or is it just that it's gotten tons of play here. Listen to the voicemail in the link Scooter provided. It's beyond shameful, ignorant, disgusting, and disrespectful. He makes me sad for Maine, and he has been a disaster for the state. Still, the ignorant and uneducated plurality that elected him once, re-elected him. It's the Trumpian model, in real life, and should be a caution to anyone with a brain (or even half a brain).

[Lord Jim]

You could not be more wrong about this one LJ. That flag allows Kaepernick to do exactly what he did.

I'm sorry, but I missed the bit where I said he didn't have a "right" to do what he did...

LePage had a "right" to say what he said too...

The Constitution guarantees the right to do and say all sorts of ignorant and disrespectful things...

Of course many people choose not to exercise their right to say and do ignorant and disrepectful things...

Because even though they have the right, their sense of judgement, propriety, and decorum leads them to decide not to say and/or do ignorant and disrespectful things...

A sense of judgement, propriety and decorum that both Kaepernick and LePage clearly lack...

[rubato]

Kaepernick was communicating his beliefs in a dignified and respectful manner.

Muhammad Ali was reviled for the same type of thing but has now been universally proven to have been right.

yrs,
rubato

Ali and Kaepernick have understood that we have a duty as citizens to speak up when something is wrong with our country. We have a duty to do so even when the result will be howling mobs of ignorant idiots calling for our heads. As men of courage they both did so. Ali spoke up about the immorality of the Vietnam war and he was right to do so. Kaepernick is speaking up about the treatment of blacks who are killed with impunity by the police in cities and states across the US. And he is right to do so.

It is not only cowardly but disrespectful to the thing the flag represents and fatal to democracy not to speak up.

The viciousness of the mob in this case is in part because cowards are shamed by brave men and join mobs to persecute what they cannot achieve.

yrs,
rubato

[Big RR]

Jim--disrespectful? perhaps; indeed, I think that is what the act likely was designed to be; that and a means to bring his grievances to light. Indeed, sometimes it is only by that disrespect that some viewpoints are heard.

But how is it ignorant? In what way?

[Lord Jim]

But how is it ignorant? In what way?

That's easy...

This statement:

"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour,"

Evinces a profound ignorance about the reality of life in contemporary America...

Of course racism still exists in this country, but to characterize the United States as a nation as a " a country that oppresses black people and people of colour," is just about as ignorant as you can get...

At no time in American history has racism had less influence in the country than it does today.

[Big RR]

Jim--two points:

One, you acknowledge racism exists; that it is less than 50 or 100 years ago does not mean this country has stopped oppressing black people and people of color.

Second, Kaperknack, is black; I do not believe you are (and I know I am not. IMHO that puts him in a far better position than either of us to assess whether black people and people of color are still oppressed in this country, and he states that they are. He is stating his view based on experiences. If he said black people are worse off now than when they were slaves, I might understand your ignorance comment, but he was not saying that. All he was saying is that the oppression still exists and he is ashamed of the country that practices those things.

[MajGenl.Meade]

"The country" does not practice racism. People do. Many people don't. "The country" condemns racism. I don't care if he stands up or sits down.

[liberty]

This country oppresses black people.

Obama is the leader of this country.

Obama Oppresses black people.


And what is this people of color thing; who are the people who have no color?

[liberty]

Comparing Kaepernick to LePage is insulting and disgraceful to Kaepernick. Not even close to the same.

Kaepernick will pay a high price


yrs,
rubato

Some how I doubt that. If he plays football well he could get away with murder. Football is the real religion and the only sin is to play it poorly.

And what the hell, what is a few ( concussions ) dead brain cells when you are worshipping your GOD.

[liberty]

Comparing Kaepernick to LePage is insulting and disgraceful to Kaepernick. Not even close to the same.

Kaepernick will pay a high price


yrs,
rubato

Some how I doubt that. If he plays football well he could get away with murder. Football is the real religion and the only sin is to play it poorly.

And what the hell, what is a few ( concussions ) dead brain cells when you are worshipping your GOD.

[dales]

A tempest in a tea pot.

A third-rate quarterback attempting to garner the spotlight, when his supposed career in the NFL has all but fizzled.

Good riddance!

[liberty]

I didn‘t know that, but I shouldn’t be surprised.

[MGMcAnick]

Now THAT'S some kind of oppression.